956. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on the appointment of a visiting committee member for Cork Prison. [65612/26]

The work undertaken by Prison Visiting Committees provides an invaluable perspective on our prisons and the experiences of those in their care, and ensures important issues are highlighted. There are currently 12 Prison Visiting Committees (Limerick Male and Female Prisons both fall under one committee) covering all 13 prisons. The names of the committees and committee members are included in the published Annual Reports of the Prison Visiting Committees, which are available on the gov.ie website.

In June 2026 my Department invited expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates for consideration for appointment to a Prison Visiting Committee. This followed on from the review of the Prison Visiting Committees, published in April 2023, which included a recommendation to establish an Appointments Process to run regular public competitions for a panel of qualified individuals for consideration for appointment by the Minister.

The expression of interest was run in conjunction with State Boards (Public Appointments Service). 75 applications were received. An assessment panel was formed to recommend applicants for appointment. Applicants were informed of the results of their applications – pending Garda Vetting – in July 2026. Successful applicants are subject to Garda vetting and following completion of this will be appointed to their respective committees.

It is intended that further expressions of interest will be run to fill vacancies arising in the future.